Why do we seek out cringe? What has cringe done for you lately? I find myself wondering this a lot when I continue to seek out posts and pictures that don’t make me feel good at all. When I’m diving into a lukewarm pool of cringe, I’m either embarrassed on behalf of someone or just plain bothered by a stranger’s ability to act with so little shame and humiliation. 

I think a big reason why we seek out cringe is to learn from other people’s bad behavior. I have had trouble figuring out whether I’m behaving in a socially acceptable way, and sometimes, watching other people totally fumbling the social bag makes me feel better about my foibles. Better yet, it helps me learn what not to do. If you feel joy at the misfortune of others or need some shining examples of being cringe to keep you on the right track, these are the saddest cringe images I have to offer this week.